Mouthpiece tobacco articles



July 7, 1970 J. K. MILNER 3,518,999

MOUTHPIECE TOBACCO ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l //v VE'A/ Tag J'a/M/ k'E/VD 61. L 07/1. use

- July 7, 1970 J. K. MILNER MOUTHP-IECE TOBACCO ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1968 A wild United States Patent US. Cl. 131-94 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for effectively uniting mouthpieces and tobacco rods of smoking articles by band material wrapped around adjoining parts thereof. It comprises two rollers for supplying the mouthpieces, rods and band material to an assembly station, means for bringing said mouthpieces and rods into abutting alignment at the said station, and a third roller, the three rollers all rotating in the same direction and at the same peripheral speed, for uniting an as sembled mouthpiece and rod by rolling them in the band material in contact, at three circumferentially spaced regions, with the surfaces of said three rollers. The third roller is located in the bight of the other two rollers, and has a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the rods and mouthpieces.

This invention concerns improvements relating to the production of mouthpiece tobacco articles, particularly but not exclusively such as are known as cigarlets. An object of the invention is to provide means by which mouthpieces can be reliably attached to such articles, especially cigarlets, by simple automatic rotary mechanism.

Cigarette and cigar holders, otherwise made in a variety of shapes and sizes, have in common an open cylindrical part into which the cigarette or cigar is fitted and a fiattened mouthpiece end or bit adapted to be comfortably held between the lips or teeth of the smoker. Cigarlets, which have recently become increasingly in demand, com,- prise a tobacco rod, usually of dimensions intermediate between those of a cigar and a cigarette, attached by a uniting band to a mouthpiece shaped like a short cigaror cigarette-holder. Frequently filter material is inserted in the mouthpiece portion of the assembly.

In manufacturing such tobacco articles, difiiculties are encountered in uniting the mouthpiece and the tobacco rod, particularly when conventional machinery developed for uniting cigarettes and filter tips is employed. Since the mouthpiece is short as well as partly non-cylindrical, deviations, particularly deviations from longitudinal axial alignment, can occur during the rolling required to unite the two components and an undesirable unsightly appearance may result. The dilference in firmness between the mouthpiece and the tobacco rod also contributes to the difiiculties. A particular object of the present invention is to provide means whereby such difiiculties can be avoided and tobacco rods and mouthpieces can be readily and reliably united.

According to the invention, in apparatus for uniting mouthpieces and tobacco rods by band material wrapped around adjoining parts thereof, the said mouthpieces, rods and band material are assembled at a station where an aligned rod and mouthpiece are united by the said material by rolling the assembly in contact, at three circumferentially spaced regions, with the surfaces of three rollers, all rotating in the same direction and driven at the same peripheral speed, one roller being located in the bight between the other two, conveniently that bight which is 3,518,999 Patented July 7, 1970 remote from the direction of approach of the mouthpieces and rods to the said station.

Preferably, the three rollers comprise an upper and a lower roller, which may be of similar diameter, arranged with their parallel axes offset to some extent as seen in side elevation, while the third roller, which may be of considerably smaller diameter, is arranged above the lower roller beside the position of closest approach of the surfaces of the upper and lower rollers, so as to delimit a space in which the assembly is rolled in contact with all of the rollers. The upper roller may then serve also to feed the rods and mouthpieces to the rolling station, for which purpose it may be provided with longitudinal grooves for receiving the said components. The lower roller may also serve as carrier for the uniting band and strips cut therefrom and as take-oh means for the completed articles.

One manner in which the invention can be carried into effect will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a form of cigarlet to the assembly of which the invention can be applied,

FIG. 2 is .a diagrammatic perspective view of part of an apparatus suitable for assembly and uniting the mouthpiece and rod components of smoking articles,

FIG. 3 is a vertical section to a larger scale through part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical section illustrating a modification.

FIG. 1 illustrates one typical form of cigarlet consisting of a tobacco rod 1 which is abutted against a mouthpiece 2 at 3 and is united thereto by an adherent paper strip 4 wrapped around the abutting cylindrical parts. The mouthpiece 2 may, if desired, contain a plug of filter material.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, cut lengths 1 of tobacco rod and mouthpieces 2 are fed to respective parts 5 and 6 of a hopper 7 divided by a partition 8. The mouthpieces may be so fed in parallel alignment by means of a vibrating-bowl feeder. From the hopper parts 5 and 6, the rods 1 and mouthpieces 2 fall into grooves 9 (FIG. 3) ex tending longitudinally in the surface of a roller 10 which rotates continuously in the direction of the arrow 11. Each groove 9 receives a rod 1 and a mouthpiece 2 and holds them in alignment during the further rotation of the roller. A refuser roller 12 rotating in the direction of the arrow 13 assists in ensuring orderly entry of the components 1, 2 into the grooves 9.

During their progress in the direction of the arrow -11, the components 1, 2 are held in the grooves 9 by a fixed circumferential retaining plate '14. At the same time, they are urged axially towards abutting: relationship -by fixed, inwardly facing cam faces on cam members at respective ends of the roller 10. The cam member 15 for engaging the outer ends of the mouthpieces 2 is to be seen in FIG. 2. That for the rods l1, cam member 15', is symmetrically disposed at the other end. In this manner, rods 1 and mouthpieces 2 are presented ready for being united at a. rolling station bounded by the feed roller 10 and rollers 16 and 17 to be referred to.

By means of a drive roller 18 co-operating with a pressure roller 19, a paper band 20 coated on one face with a heat-sensitive or heat-seal adhesive is drawn at required speed from a reel 21 around guide rollers 22. From the rollers 18, 19, the band is drawn onto the roller 16, which is designed as a suction roller with finely perforated arcuate surface regions 16' of substantially the width of the band 20, so that the leading end portion of the band, passing around part of the surface of the roller can be held by suction to the said surface. The suction may suitably be of the order of 2 lbs. per square inch. The peripheral speed of the roller 18 is arranged to be somewhat less than that of the roller 16, so that the continuous band 20, although held on the said roller 16 by the suction will slide on its surface. A continuously rotating cutting wheel 23 with blades 24 having the same peripheral speed as the roller 16 co-acts with the latter to cut off lengths of the band 20 to form uniting strips 4. The severed strips are firmly held to the roller 16 by the suction and are advanced in succession to the rolling station as that roller turns in the direction of the arrow 25. The above-mentioned sliding of the band 20 on the roller 16 serves to space out the strips 4. The roller 16 is also provided with grooves 26, similar to the grooves 9, in which united rods 1 and mouthpieces are taken away for delivery to collection and storage means indicated conventionally at 27. The perforated regions 16 lie between successive grooves 26. Finally, the roller 16 is provided with heating means, in the form of known longitudinally extending electrical heating cartridges 28, for activating the adhesive on the strips 4.

The operation by which each mouthpiece 2 is united to its tobacco rod 1 will be best understood by reference to FIG. 3. It is effected by rolling the said components, so that their abutting end parts become wrapped, in the strip 4, between the three parallel rollers 10, 16, 17 which are driven to rotate continuously at the same peripheral speed and in the same direction (arrows 11, 25 and 29 respectively). The rollers 10, 16, 17 are so disposed in relation to the axis of a tobacco rod in the rolling position 2a that planes containing the said axis and the axes of the respective rollers are at approximately equal angular intervals. Furthermore, the distance of the said axis, which occupies the centre of the space bounded by the rollers 10, 16, 17, from the nearest circumferential parts of the said rollers, is equal to the radius of the rod-mouthpiece assembly.

As illustrated, the rollers 10, 16 are of the same or similar diameter, the roller 16 being arranged closely below the roller but offset to some extent horizontally as seen in side elevation (FIG. 3). The roller 17, which is of considerably smaller diameter than that of the rollers 10 and 16, but of substantially greater diameter than that of said mouthpieces and rods, is arranged substantially above the axis of the roller 16 and offset to one side of the plane containing the axes of the rollers 10 and 16. It is thus located in that bight between the rollers 10, 16 which is bounded by receding and approaching surfaces of the rollers 10 and 16 respectively. The roller 17 has a plain surface which may, however, be rubber-covered. The surface of the roller 10 may also be rubber-covered.

Opposite the end of the rolling position 2a, the cam has an end portion 30 forming a stop which holds the mouthpiece against axial movement away from the rod during the rolling operation. In the corresponding position, the cam 15 at the other end of the roller 10 supports a nozzle 31 of a common well known type connected to an air source in any well known manner which directs an air jet (arrow 31) against the end of the rod, holding the latter firmly but gently in contact with the mouthpiece during the rolling. An air pressure of 2 lbs. per square inch is suitable for this purpose. Lightly springloaded abutment means could alternatively be used for this purpose. Between the rollers 10, 16 on the side of the rolling position 2a oposite to the roller 17 is a guide plate 32, of which an end portion 33 forms an extension of the retaining plate 14.

The manner of operation is as follows:

The rollers 10 and 16 rotate in such relationship (FIG. 3) that a tobacco rod 1 and mouthpiece 2 arriving at the rolling position in a groove 9 drop under gravity onto the surface of the roller 16 just after a groove 26 in the latter has passed, but just before a strip 4 held by suction on the surface of the roller 16 arrives. This ensures that the said rod and mouthpiece are first brought into final aligned abutment by the air jet before the leading edge of the strip, presented with the activated adhesive outwardly, comes into contact with, and adheres to, the rod and mouthpiece while the latter are still under the influence of the said jet. At this point, the suction holding the strip 4 to the roller 16 is cut off automatically by valve means controlling the communication of suction to the interior of the said roller. The assembled rod and mouthpiece roll onto the said leading edge, ensuring firm adhesion there, and become rolled in the strip 4 between the three rollers 10, 16, 17 and are thus securely united. The firm adhesion of the leading edge of the strip 4 to the assembled rod and mouthpiece is important to ensure a tidy overlap of the trailing edge over the leading edge. The peripheral distance between the grooves 9 and between the grooves 26, respectively, is at least slightly greater than the length of the strip 4, so that not only can the strips be accommodated conveniently on the roller 16 between the grooves 26, but also the assembled rod and mouthpiece can execute at least one complete revolution in contact with the said strip 4. The said distanec may suitably be twice the circumference of the assembly. When the next groove 26 arrives under the rolling position 2a, the united assembly falls into that groove under gravity and is conveyed away under the plate 32 (see the assembly in position 2b).

By rolling the assembbly 1, 2 in the strip 4 between rollers 10, 16, 17 so arranged as to engage it at three ap proximately equal intervals, the assembly is rolled very evenly and there is no tendency for the mouthpiece to move out of alignment with the tobacco rod.

If it is preferred to employ a uniting band of conventional tipping material, to which adhesive is applied in the apparatus, the latter may be modified as shown in FIG. 4. The additional provision, which may be made up as a readily attached unit, comprises a glue bath 34, into which dips a glueing wheel 35 co-acting with an applicator wheel 36 over which the continuous band passes to the suction roller 16. An additional guide roller 37 is arranged to be movable to lift the band 20 from the wheel 36 during stoppages. The apparatus is otherwise as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Apparatus such as has been described is particularly useful for assembling cigarlets, for example comprising a tobacco rod 1 of mm. length and 31.5 mm. circumference and a mouthpiece of 30 mm. length, which may contain a filter plug of 15 mm. length. Such cigarlets can be effectively assembled at speeds of up to 170 per minute. By varying the axial setting of the cams at the ends of the roller 10, rods and mouthpieces of other lengths, for example mm. and 35 mm. respectively, can be accommodated. Provision may also be made for accommodating cigarlets of other diameters. One or more of the rollers 10, 16 and 17 may be mounted so that the size of the rolling space bounded by them can be adjusted. The upper part of the frame of the apparatus, supporting the rollers 10 and 17, may be hingedly connected to the lower part at 38 (FIG. 4) to permit of adjustment and/ or access.

The apparatus can, however, be used also for uniting cigarettes or other similar smoking articles and mouth pieces of convention or other designs, including ordinary filter tips, particularly where there are large differences or variations in the firmness of the individual components.

In the examples illustrated, the rollers 10 and 16 are considerably larger than the roller 17, which is necessary to ensure an acceptable rate of feed to and from the rolling station. Otherwise, the rollers might all be of more equal size, which would be preferably from the standpoint of the rolling operation alone. In the examples, also, the roller 17 is disposed in the bight, between the other rollers, bounded by the receding surface of the roller 16. It could, however, be disposed in the other bight between the rollers 16, 17.

The supply of suction to the interior of the roller 16 over a required arc of rotation thereof may be controlled by valve means in per se known manner. Provision may then be made whereby air is automatically blown through the perforations in the roller 16 to cause rejection of an unused band or bands in the event of a feed failure from the hopper 7.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for uniting mouthpieces and tobacco rods by band material wrapped around adjoining parts thereof, comprising supply means for supplying the said mouthpieces, rods and band material to an assembly station, means for bringing said mouthpieces and rods into abutting alignment at the said station, and assembly means, including three rollers all rotating in the same direction and at the same peripheral speed, for uniting an assembled mouthpiece and rod by rolling them in the band material in contact, at three circumferentially spaced regions, with the surfaces of the said rollers, one of the said rollers being located in the bight between the other two rollers, and the clearances between the rollers being smaller than the diameter of the articles being rolled to facilitate retention of the articles being rolled in the rolling position, said one roller having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said rods and mouthpieces.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rollers are disposed so that the said regions of contact are substantially equally spaced circumferentially.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said one roller is located in that bight between the other two rollers which is remote from the direction of supply of the mouthpieces and rods to the said station.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other two rollers comprise an upper roller and a lower roller of similar diameter arranged with their axes offset to some extent as seen in side elevation, while the one roller which is of considerably smaller diameter, is arranged above the lower roller beside the position of closest approach of the surfaces of the upper and lower rollers, so as to delimit a space in which the assembled mouthpiece and rod are rolled in the band material in contact with the surfaces of all of the rollers.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the said other two rollers serves also for feeding the mouthpieces and rods to the said station.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the said two rollers serves also for feeding the mouthpieces and rods to the said-station, and said means for bringing said mouthpieces and rods into abutting alignment at said station including face-cam means being provided for bringing mouthpieces and rods axially toward each other during their feeding to the said station.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said abutting means comprises an air jet acting means at the said station for pressing the mouthpieces and rods gently into abutting relation during the rolling operation.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the said other two rollers serves also for feeding the mouthpieces and rods to the said station and the other of the said other two rollers for feeding the band material to the said station.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the said other two rollers serves also for feeding the mouthpieces and rods to the said station and the other of the said other two rollers for feeding the band material to the said station, the said last-mentioned other roller being arranged to coact with a cutting device for severing strips from a continuous band of the material and to feed the severed strips to the said station.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the said other two rollers is provided with at least one longitudinal groove for receiving a mouthpiece and rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,809,640 10/1957 Oldenkamp 131-94 3,016,905 1/ 1962 Creuzburg 13194 3,058,475 10/1962 Gamberini 131-94 3,094,128 6/1963 Dearsley 13194 3,158,251 11/1964 Skala et a1. 131-94 X 3,308,833 3/1967 Dearsley 13194 3,396,733 8/1968 Allseits et a1 131-105 FOREIGN PATENTS 265,698 7/ 1964 Australia.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner J. H. CZEROWONKY, Assistant Examiner 

